The Beatles, a.k.a. 'the single biggest band of all time', were an iconic rock group from Liverpool, England. They are frequently cited as
themost commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in modern history, with innovative music, a cultural impact that helped define
the1960s, and an enormous influence on music that is still felt today.
After conquering Europe, with successful tours to Germany and Sweden, the Beatles led the mid-1960s musical ‘British Invasion’ into
theUnited States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown s ...read more

The Beatles, a.k.a. 'the single biggest band of all time', were an iconic rock group from Liverpool, England. They are frequently cited as
themost commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in modern history, with innovative music, a cultural impact that helped define
the1960s, and an enormous influence on music that is still felt today.
After conquering Europe, with successful tours to Germany and Sweden, the Beatles led the mid-1960s musical ‘British Invasion’ into
theUnited States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle,the group explored a great
varietyof musical styles including Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Ballads, Western and Indian Classical among others. Their clothes,
hairstyles, andstatements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and
cultural revolutionsof the 1960s.
Early on, the band consisted of George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best. The band got its first
majorbreak playing in Hamburg, Germany, at some rather seedy nightclubs, beginning in 1960. While in Germany, they also met Klaus
Voormann,who would later design the cover of the group’s 1966 album Revolver. Stuart remained in Germany after the others decided to
return toEngland, and became engaged to fellow artist Astrid Kirchherr, only to die a few years later of a brain hemorrhage.
In 1961, Brian Epstein heard their sound and was thrilled enough to sign on as their manager, even though he had no previous experience
inthat field. His efforts eventually led, in 1962, to an audition with EMI producer George Martin, who signed them to EMI’s Parlaphone
label.Later, due in part to Martin’s refusal to use him on recordings, Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, the drummer from another
bigLiverpool band known as Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Ringo was supposed to play on their first single, “Love Me Do”, but George
Martinhad Alan White, a session drummer, play instead (Ringo can be heard on the album version of the song).
In 1963, The Beatles initiated a craze known as “Beatlemania” in the UK with the song “Please Please Me”. Their first album of the same
titlewas recorded in just one day. This fame spread internationally and, in February of 1964, they arrived in the United States. Their
firstappearance in the States was on the Ed Sullivan Show, following “I Want to Hold Your Hand” going#1 in the States. With this success,
theBeatles released two feature length films within the space of two years: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. The songs from both films
werepenned by Lennon and McCartney, and albums followed their release.In Help!, the Beatles were given greater creative freedom, deciding
forexample to head to the exotic location of the Bahamas simply to shoot one scene.
The Beatles were comprised of four members in the long run: John Lennon (vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Paul McCartney (vocals, bassguitar,
piano, guitar), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals), and Ringo Starr (percussion, vocals). Lennon and McCartney were the mainsongwriters
and singers, although songs penned by George started showing up more frequently on later albums. Ringo traditionally sang onesong on each
record. George Martin produced most of the Beatles’ records, and was a highly influential part of the band’s sound on most ofthem. He also
played the renowned solo on “In My Life” (Rubber Soul).
For years, The Beatles showed an amazing talent for writing hit after hit. In 1966, they ceased performing in concert (apparently they
grewweary of the constant screaming from the fans, which always got so loud they could never hear themselves play; another contributing
factorwas the extraordinary lengths they had to go to for security reasons before and after each performance) and began exploring new
sounds inthe studio. This is especially apparent in albums such as Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The
Beatles,sometimes known as “The White Album”. The White Album is considered the band’s most experimental. The novel sounds featured
are due tothe growing presence of Yoko Ono (Lennon’s wife), as demonstrated by the song “Revolution 9”, and the band’s increasing use of
drugs. Thesong “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” (off of Sgt. Pepper’s) was rumored to be an ode to LSD, although the band vehemently
denied anylink; they instead insisted that it described a drawing made by John Lennon’s son, Julian Lennon. After the death of Brian
Epstein,the Beatlesbegan to unravel at the seams. The Beatles officially split at the dawn of 1970; Lennon had unofficially quit the previous
year and the bandhad maintained the front of being together to protect their business interests. McCartney, who was the first to announce
that he had officially“quit” the band and that they no longer existed, was often blamed for the band’s ending although by the end he was the
only one willing tocarry on and was, by stating the group no longer existed,admitting to the facts.
The Beatles never reunited properly in the 1970s as they never fully recovered from the acrimony associated with thei rbreakup. They
did,however, make two new records in 1994, despite Lennon’s 1980 death, for the Anthology project. “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love”
werebased on demo tapes made by Lennon and sent to McCartney by his widow Yoko Ono. The Beatles also created some of the first
musicvideos, having filmed promotional films in 1965 for broadcasters to show across the US and Europe rather than have to appear live.
Their1967 film promos for “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane”have even more similarity to modern music videos, with each one
createdfor just the individual song, and without the appearance of being a recording of a live performance.
The band were also the source of a number of controversies and conspiracy theories. John Lennon was quoted in 1966 as saying the
Beatleswere “more popular than Jesus Christ”, causing protests in many parts of the USA; although he publicly apologized for the statement,
he alsolater claimed it was a contributing factor in the Beatles ending touring. A widespread urban legend that started in 1969 claimed that
PaulMcCartney was dead and had been replaced by a lookalike. The rumor was referred to by members of the Beatles a number of
times,including John Lennon’s song “How Do You Sleep?”.
George Harrison passed away in 2001. His death was marked by a large concert event in the Albert Hall. The Concert for George took place
ayear to the day of George’s death. Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney continue to make music. Paul’s latest release is 2007’s Memory
AlmostFull, while Ringo's most recent album is 2010's Y Not. 2009 saw the release of a completely remastered set of The Beatles' records,
whichsparked a lot of interest and continued to show their legacy still lives on today.
Harrison once said: “The Beatles will exist without us.” Deftly short and simple, this quote surmises their legacy, showing how The Beatles
asan entity transcends not only the music or entertainment industry, but even the members themselves.
R.I.P. John Lennon: 1940-1980 R.I.P. George Harrison: 1943 - 2001 « hide